Couvant Bar and Brasserie in New Orleans

We dined at Couvant Bar and Brasserie in New Orleans after have drinks and nibbles at the home of very gracious new friends. After enjoying their company and an array of goodies we were not exactly starving. Couvant was the perfect spot for us that evening.

The gorgeous waiting area at Couvant Bar and Brasserie in New Orleans

The intimate setting of Couvant Bar and Brasserie in New Orleans

We were welcomed by our server Ian, and felt transported to Paris. The restaurant is beautiful and just what you would imagine a Parisian Brasserie should look like. After being handed menus we started chatting with Ian and learned that he was from Lake Worth, Florida. That’s the town right next to ours! What are the odds? Crazy right?

Couvant was named Most Beautiful Restaurant by Eater New Orleans and it was easy to see why. We loved the black and white floor. (It is actually what I would like to put in our RV!) The bar and waiting room are gorgeous, which you may or may not be able to appreciate from our photos. Unfortunately it is dimly lit. But that is to be expected in an intimate bistro. We loved the moody lighting. It really gave the place a very cozy feel. But what we loved even more was the food.

Garlicky Burgundy Escargot which required lots of bread to get every last drop!

Since we were not starving we started off with the Burgundy Escargot. Just thinking about how garlicky and herbaceous those snails were makes my mouth water. The preparation was very classic and the parsley garlic butter was so fabulous that we were glad to have Couvant’s really good bread to sop of every single bit of it. By the time we were done it looked like we had been given a clean and very empty escargot vessel.

Traditional Steak Tartare with Pommes Gaufrettes

We followed our Escargot with Traditional Steak Tartare. Tender uncooked filet mignon was minced and seasoned well and was topped with the perfunctory egg yolk which created that rich “sauce” that brings everything together. What we felt was Couvant’s unique twist was accompanying the tartare with Pommes Gaufrette. Those crunchy, slightly salty waffle fries were the perfect contrast in both texture and flavor.

Tarte Au Citron

After enjoying two very rich appetizers, plus the goodies at our friends’ home, we were getting quite full. So we only ordered one dessert. Since Steve’s favorite is Lemon Meringue Pie we went with the Tarte Au Citron. As you can see it was gorgeous. And the meringue was perfectly toasted. And the filling was lemony and yummy. But sadly we could not break through the crust. Ian saw us struggling and handed us a steak knife. And we still couldn’t cut it! So he insisted on bringing us something else.

Paris Brest

So as our added bonus we had the Paris Brest which was this beautiful choux pastry filled with gorgeous swirls of hazelnut pastry cream and topped with rich, creamy hazelnut ice cream and toasted hazelnuts. And somehow we managed to savor every morsel of both desserts, minus the crust of the Tarte Au Citron, of course. How is it that there is ALWAYS room for dessert?